Dounreay Castle: an unexpected stranger on the shores

Dounreay Castle sits on the shores of Scotland's Highland, about 8 miles (13 km) west of Thurso, but the ruins pay testament to a tumultuous past as an unexpected stranger. Thought to date from the latter part of the 16th century, the castle was once a property of the Sinclairs. The three-storey main block and the jamb containing a scale-and-platt stair are all that remain of the original structure. The castle was encased by a barmkin, parts of which survive on the southwestern and seaward sides.

Ownership passed through several hands until 1863, when the last occupants left. The castle was used as a farm, with the courtyard serving as the farmyard, but it was not owned by the farmers. Cromwellian troops were housed in the castle in the mid-17th century, but it was not referred to as 'owned' by them. However, little was found during archaeological excavation in 1997-1998, apart from a large millstone likely associated with the mill depicted on the Ordnance Survey map.

Today, Dounreay Castle is a scheduled monument and part of the Dounreay Nuclear Power Development Establishment, waiting for its next owner while preserving the records of its past.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata